Pondicherry University won’t hold interview to fill registrar’s post till it files counter to plea in Madras HC

PUDUCHERRY: Pondicherry University has given an assurance to the Madras high court that it will not hold an interview for the post of registrar until it files a counter to a petition filed by an applicant.

Justice V Bhavani Subbaroyan posted the case to Dec 5 after recording that the university sought time to file the counter and promised not to call for the interview until the counter affidavit was filed.

In his petition, Sasikantha Dash, who was one of the applicants for the post, pointed out that the university does not have a full-time vice-chancellor and the present in-charge vice-chancellor cannot decide on the recruitment of statutory posts like registrar, director, and finance officer and make any policy decisions.

He cited that the Union human resource development ministry had made it clear that an acting vice-chancellor could not exercise administrative or financial power of a ‘full-fledged incumbent’ and could not make appointments of permanent teaching and non-teaching staff members.

He questioned the appointment of K Tharanikkarasu as acting vice-chancellor against the Union govt’s instructions.

“As per the instructions of the Union govt, the senior-most regularly appointed director/dean can be the vice-chancellor in-charge. The 4th respondent (Tharanikkarasu) until Nov 22, 2023, was only a professor and he was hurriedly made a director on Nov 22, 2023, and given the in-charge vice-chancellor position on Nov 23, when there were already several regular senior-most dean/directors on roll. While so, he cannot fill up the post of registrar,” he said.

Dash urged the court for a direction to Pondicherry University to wait for the appointment of a regular vice-chancellor to decide on the recruitment of candidates for the post of teaching and non-teaching staff members, including the post of registrar.